MPs demand probe into doping scandal

The doping controversy of wrestler Narsingh Yadav which has threatened to put his dream of winning a medal for the nation in the forthcoming Rio Olympics in jeopardy, rang loud in the two Houses with MPs cutting across party lines firing a barrage of questions on the matter, forcing the government to assure the House that it will make a statement on it on July 28.

Sports minister Vijay Goel, while replying to questions related to the issue during Question Hour, said that the final report of the panel probing wrestler Narsingh Yadav’s doping controversy will come in the next two days and till then he will remain under provisional suspension.

Several lawmakers became passionate about the issue with Mr Ranjit Ranjan of Congress seeking a CBI probe into it.

Alleging a conspiracy to disqualify Indian medal hopefuls from the Rio Olympics, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari in Rajya Sabha demanded a probe if Yadav and two other athletes were found to have been given banned drug-spiked food without their knowledge.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, he alleged that the banned substance was mixed in “dal fry” in the Sports Authority of India (SAI) kitchen and a thorough probe has to be carried out to get to the root of the issue. “Three athletes have failed the dope test. It is a conspiracy against them,” the MP said, adding, “If the banned substance was consumed by the athlete unknowingly, then he should be given a fair chance to represent. But if he did it knowingly, then he should be punished.”

In the Lok Sabha, minister of state for parliamentary affairs S.S. Ahluwalia assured the House that he would ask the government to make a statement on the issue. It was later decided that the statement will be made on July 28.

Meanwhile, Mr Goel said that the government will consider a suggestion made by members for keeping a check on anabolic steriods which are available openly in the market.

He said the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) works under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and its anti-doping panel is at present investigating the case of Mr Yadav.

The final report would be coming in the next two days, the minister said, adding till then Mr Yadav will remain under provisional suspension.

But the Opposition members, including those from the Congress, were unhappy with his replies on the wrestler and pressed the need for curbing the availability of steroids.

Rejecting a charge that Government was not keeping a check on the performance of various sports federations, he said there are 49 such recognised sports federations in the country.

“There have been 14 cases of irregularities relating to code of conduct and elections and their recognition has been witheld,” the sports minister said.

Ms Ranjeet Ranjan, the Congress MP later raised the Narsingh Yadav doping controversy during Zero Hour and sought a CBI inquiry into the matter while referring to the allegations that brother of another international player had a role in spiking Mr Yadav’s food and drink intake.

“Whether he (Yadav) has been fixed or not we do not know. There should be a CBI inquiry and the guilty must be given most stringent punishment. It is a heinous crime,” she said.